6.4 magnitude quake off Vancouver Island 2011

tiffiant

6.4 magnitude quake off Vancouver Island
Tremors felt on Lower Mainland
News1130 Staff Sep 09, 2011 12:55:00 PM
87 VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) - People in the Lower Mainland have felt an earthquake, that struck off the coast of Vancouver Island Friday afternoon.

The US Geological Survey puts the 6.4 magnitude quake's epicentre just off the west coast of Vancouver Island, south of Port Hardy. The quake was recorded at a depth of 23 kilometres. Tremors were felt on the Lower Mainland.

The USGS recorded the quake at 12:41 p.m. Since then, the phones in our newsroom have been ringing. People from Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, and even as far as Kelowna have called to say they felt the quake.

Dennis amailed us to say: "I was in my 18th floor condo in North Surrey and I felt the building swaying from left to right. It felt like a rolling feeling beneath my feet. I looked at my ceiling and saw my chandelier swinging. I looked out the window and onto the street and the people waiting for the bus acted just normal. I guess they didn't feel anything. It made my wife and sister-in-law feel dizzy. It lasted for a good 10-15 seconds."

"First, I thought I was dizzy, like you you get sick or something," says one of our callers.

"My computer desk started to shake, my chair started to shake... I could feel the floor go up and down," says another.

News1130's own Andy Walsh called from Richmond. "The chair moved slightly and the chandeliers started swinging over our dining room table."

There are no reports of serious damage or injuries at this time.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has posted an information bulletin that says no tsunami is expected.

Expert describes quake

Bill Steele with the Pacific Northwest Seismology Network says it was not a subduction quake, where one tectonic plate slips under another and pushes it up.

"It is in the North America plate itself. It is a strike-slip fault. Maybe 15 kilometres of the fault slipped less than a metre horizontally, similar to the way the San Andreas fault works."

John Cassidy with Natural Resources Canada says it's impossible to tell if the quake means that a bigger event is on the way. "The really big ones occur hundreds of years apart. Can this earthquake trigger a larger one? We don't know at this point."
   
Chris Duffy, director of operations for Emergency Management BC, says the quake triggers safety operations for a lot of companies.  "There are some power companies on Vancouver Island that have activated their emergency plans. They entail a mandatory inspection of their facilities," he points out.

He adds the quake is also a great reminder for families to review their own emergency plans.

What not to do during a quake

Chris Oliver with Krasicki and Ward Emergency Preparedness says people should not run outside if an earthquake hits.

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"The worst part is that you're going to have broken glass. It's going to be shattering all over the place. Going outside is a bad idea for those in the downtown Vancouver area. Take a look outside. All those office buildings and condos are nothing but glass," he points out.
   
He says the first thing to do is duck and cover under a desk.

Heather Lyle, who runs BC's provincial earthquake drills, says people should view the event as a wake-up call. "We live in earthquake country. People need to be prepared. We are very fortunate that this one was far enough way and deep enough that it didn't cause anything significant. But the fact remains that we are in a very seismically active zone."

Lyle is hoping hundreds of thousands of people will participate in the next drill in October.

City hosts earthquake preparedness classes

The City of Vancouver is offering free emergency preparedness courses. You'll learn personal, family and pet preparedness, all with a focus on apartment style living.

The first session is Saturday, at the West End Community Centre, 10:30 a.m.

Subsequent sessions:


•September 12, 7 p.m.  Coal Harbour Community Centre 480 Broughton Street - Register: 604-718-8222
•September 14, 7 p.m.  Kitsilano Community Centre 2690 Larch Street - Register: 604-257-6976
•September 19, 7 p.m.  Champlain Heights Community Centre 3350 Maquinna Drive - Register: 604-718-6575
•September 19, 7 p.m. Vancouver Public Library - 350 West Georgia Street (Alma VanDusen & Peter Kaye Rooms, Lower Level) *Registration not required.
•September 21, 7 p.m.  False Creek Community Centre 1318 Cartwright Street - Register: 604-257-8195
•September 22, 7 p.m. (In Cantonese) Hastings Community Centre 3096 East Hastings Street - Register: 604-718-6222
•September 28, 7 p.m.  Marpole-Oakridge Community Centre 990 West 59th Avenue - Register: 604-257-8180
Also, the North Shore Emergency Management Office is giving free emergency preparedness classes at their offices at 147 East 14 St., in North Vancouver.

Dates: Sept. 27 and Oct. 3

Time:  7 p.m.- 9:30 p.m

tiffiant

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earth ... /Maps/10/230_50.php
http://twitter.com/#%21/news1130radio
http://ptwc.weather.gov/
http://www.pnsn.org/
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/com/index-eng.php
http://www.pep.bc.ca/Emerg_Mgmt_BC/Emerg_Mgmt_BC.html
http://www.krasickiandward.com/home.html
http://vancouver.ca/emerg/NEPP/
http://www.nsemo.org/

boss2007

回復 3# tiffiant


    still DUCK and COVER ?

http://new.loyaukee.com/forum/viewthread.php?tid=14767

good luck if you stay high rise and have a concrete roof ...